Jake Tonges reflects on game-winning catch to lift 49ers past Seahawks in Week 1

Jake Tonges has been in the NFL since 2022, joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. Entering the 2025 season, he was still searching for his first career catch. That changed on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Tonges finished the game with three receptions for 15 yards, but none were more significant than his third—a game-winning touchdown from quarterback Brock Purdy.

"It felt really good to get that first catch and kind of, 'All right, here we go,'" Tonges said Tuesday on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "First catch is out of the way, and stop making it a big deal or whatever, and just go out and play. I felt like I was playing a little looser after that, and it's just the same old thing."

The Los Gatos product saw his snap count increase after star tight end George Kittle suffered a hamstring injury. Tonges had little time to process the situation, quickly integrating himself into the game.

"You've just got to rely on your preparation and stuff like that," Tonges said, "and try and let the level of play, the drop-off, be as little as possible because we know what a great player George is, and it's a huge loss anytime he's not out there. So just trying to step up and just do your job."

Reflecting on the go-ahead touchdown, Tonges explained, "So, we broke from the huddle. I knew what I had right away. I had a little corner curl route, and I slipped a little bit coming out of the break in the end zone. And when I looked back, Brock was scrambling around and stuff, and so I knew it was on. So I just had to keep moving, and really, just stay in bounds and give him a chance to throw one up."

He added, "And when I saw the ball in the air, I just tried to attack it as best I could, and we ended up seeing what happened."

The play, a 3rd-and-3 scramble in the red zone, looked chaotic as Purdy eluded the Seahawks' pass rush. The ball seemed destined for cornerback Riq Woolen, but Tonges made the catch, giving the 49ers a 17-13 lead.

"We practice those all the time in practice," Tonges said. "If a D-lineman gets to the quarterback quickly, even if the play is shot, we try to use that opportunity to work on the scramble drill and stuff, especially in red zone periods and stuff like that. So I know that that's one of Brock's best parts of his game, [which] is his legs and his ability to extend plays and stuff, so I knew the play wasn't dead. I kind of just felt the corner in front of me, so I had to undercut him to get to that ball."

Head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted he didn't think Tonges was open on the play until he saw the tight end come down with the football.

When asked on Monday what stood out about the play, Shanahan said, "That no one was open, and I didn't think Jake was, but for some reason Brock did. And when he threw it, at the end of it, he proved to us that Jake was open because he made a hell of a play stepping in front of Riq like that. It was a big-time catch."

With Kittle now headed to injured reserve, sidelined at least four weeks, the 49ers will continue to rely on players like Tonges to step up and help the team remain competitive during this crucial early stretch of the season.